GREGOR JORDAN - BUFFALO SOLDIERS MOVIE MAKER HITS OUT AT CRITICS

Aussie movie maker GREGOR JORDAN has fuelled the controversy surrounding his new war satire BUFFALO SOLDIERS by insisting American right wingers take patriotism too far.

An American journalist hurled a bottle of water at the director during a post-screening press conference at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL in January (03) after taking offence to the controversial film, in which JOAQUIN PHOENIX plays a wheelerdealer soldier who makes a fortune selling off military equipment.

And now Jordan has taken to slamming military officials in America who have publicly criticised the premise of the movie.

He says, "In the UK, no one gets upset, but in America, where the President is fighting these military campaigns in the name of democracy, the first casualty seems to be freedom of speech, the cornerstone of any democracy."

Buffalo Soldiers, which is due to be released in America on 25 July (03), has also stirred up military opposition for its controversial poster, which features Phoenix in khakis flashing a peace sign.

The movie also features the tagline 'Steal all that you can steal' - a twist on the army's 'Be All You Can Be' slogan.